We’re grateful to Restless Development for providing a driver and transport to visit Uhambingeto secondary school, the first school in the Iringa area to use Game for the World. Headmaster Selsus Mwilike said that his community faces many challenges: teen pregnancy, substance abuse, high drop-out and failure rates. He believes that the Game is crucial for the health of his community and that we should apply to the Tanzanian Ministry of Education to have the Game approved for the curriculum in schools. He said that their curriculum includes HIV/AIDS education in biology, civics, life skills and geography. Selsus said, “The Game enables students to talk about HIV and express themselves. The questions are well-organized and increase my student’s HIV awareness. It also helps my students to go back home and talk about HIV.” He said he wants to be our partner in spreading the use of Game for the World in schools.

Headmaster Selsus Mwilike and Anne speaking to Uhambingeto school teachers

Uhambingeto School has 300 students and 16 teachers. We spoke to teachers and students about the Game. The teachers said that the Game is very relevant to what their students are learning and that it gives them confidence in speaking about HIV. They said their students are learning about HIV and improving their English. They specifically wanted English Games and so we donated an additional 10 Games to the school.

Uhambingeto students playing Game

Student solar cell phone chargers

Uhambingeto teachers

After visiting the school, we met Jemida Kulanga, a coordinator of Pamoja Twalee project run by Chama Cha Malezi Bora Tanzania (UMATI), an agency which provides sexual and reproductive health education and services for youth and pregnant women throughout Tanzania. UMATI first used Game for the World with youth who chose to postpone a football tournament in order to play it. We couldn’t ask for a more powerful testimony! UMATI’s volunteers told us that Game for the World has been used very effectively in UMATI’s HIV testing awareness campaign; it motivates people to get tested and empowers them to know their status. Youth come to UMATI every day to play games, including Game for the World and to socialize. We saw two groups playing the Game while we were there – it is so inspiring to see the Game being played in Tanzania!

Our work in Tanzania is supported by a grant from the Zuckerman Community Outreach Foundation in Tucson, Arizona and by the generosity of family and friends. If you want to make a difference in the lives of young Tanzanians, please consider a donation at our web site, www.gamefortheworld.com.